This invention relates to deslagging rakes.
It is a common practice in the production of higher quality steel to remove slag from the surface of the molten metal after tapping and while the hot metal is contained in a ladle. For this purpose, a slag skimming rake is normally employed.
Prior art deslagging rakes normally comprise an elongate, extendable boom which is mounted on a support column for pivotal movement about a vertical axis. A downwardly extending skimming blade is disposed at the end of the boom and may be pivotal about a horizontal axis. In performing a skimming operation with prior art rakes, the boom is first extended over the tilted ladle. By extending and retracting the boom as well as by tilting either the boom or the blade about horizontal axis, the slag is removed from the upper surface of the molten metal. However, it was difficult to also remove slag adhering to the walls of the tilted ladle with prior art rakes.